Soft and Subtle
by Squishy
Summary: (AU, IK, MS) When Kagome’s body is stolen, she must learn to find trust in the least likely of places--hell. With Satan on her side, Kagome can’t help but win. Right? (Chapter 2 finally up)
1. chapter 1

Soft and Subtle  
  
By Squishy  
  
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Prologue  
  
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Kagome scooted closer to Inuyasha in the theater, playing with a lock of his long, black hair. She knew he hated the movie.  
  
"Thanks." She said simply, placing her head on his shoulder. He shrugged slightly and mumbled something akin to "no problem." Kagome smiled. He was the best friend a girl could ask for. He was a bit possessive and jealous at times, but that somehow added to his rugged charm. They watched the remainder of the movie in silence...except when Inuyasha laughed at the main character during the death scene.  
  
After the movie, Inuyasha took Kagome home. Since he was going to be a senior and she a freshman once school started, she doubted they would ever be anything more than friends. She sighed deeply as she opened the door to exit the car. Instead, she found Inuyasha's lips pressed firmly against hers in a chaste kiss. Kagome pulled back in shock, but quickly regretted that action.  
  
"I don't want to be just friends with you, Kagome." He told her seriously as he moved in for a second kiss.  
  
"Ditto..." Kagome agreed before their lips met.  
  
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Chapter 1  
  
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~ One Year Later ~  
  
"Okay...Yeah of course I understand..." Kagome idly twirled the phone cord around her index finger, holding the receiver lightly against her ear, listening. "Huh? Whaddya mean?! Of course I'm pouting!" She stood, ignoring the crash of the phone base on the floor as the cord bounced. "I haven't seen you in at least a wee--hello? Hello?!" She quickly ripped the phone away from her ear as the receiver cracked out loudly,  
  
"FUCK YOU BITCH!"  
  
"WHAT DID YOU SAY TO ME?!" She screamed back, pacing the length of the room despite the protest of the phone jack as it groaned and pulled. "If I'm not mistaken, I'm the one who stayed with you despite you cheating on me! I'm the one who stood beside you when you were on trial for assault! I'm the one-" The receiver gave a faint click before the infamous dial tone. "Shit..." Kagome threw the phone against the wall, watching with terror as it shattered into five pieces and clattered to the floor. She repeated her earlier phrase and left the room to get a snack. Food always made her feel better...  
  
"I swear this stupid house is haunted!" Kagome grumbled heatedly as she flung open another cabinet only to reveal--well, everything other than the brownie mix she'd hidden strategically somewhere. If only she could find it...Feeling no better, Kagome left the house to take a walk. A very long, thoughtful, smoldering walk. She could swear Inuyasha was cheating on her again. He had an odd tendency to do that. Oh well...she shrugged her shoulders. He always came crawling back in the end, so why did it bother her? Kagome looked up. There she was. In front of his house. "I am so gonna regret this," she told herself reasonably as she hopped the fence into the backyard. Their dogs didn't even look up at her as she situated herself beside his window. Laughter floated from the partially opened window. It sounded like Inuyasha. She chanced a peek, and saw Inuyasha and a few of his other friends lounging in a messy pile on the floor, watching some perverted movie that only males could find joy in. Not a girl in sight. Kagome felt somewhat better.  
  
"So it's a guy's night out?" A soft voice asked from behind Kagome, who fought her throat's hell-bent urge to scream.  
  
"Sango!" Kagome twitched as she whispered urgently. "What are you doing here?" She could practically feel Sango rolling her eyes at the question.  
  
"I'm here keeping tabs on Miroku, of course." Kagome nodded and turned.  
  
"As you said, no foul play." She smiled at her friend reassuringly, and Sango smiled back.  
  
"Do you wanna come over? I have ice cream and movies." The taller girl offered, her ponytail swishing as she cocked her head slightly.  
  
"No can do," Kagome replied as the two girls turned and began their trudge back across the fence. "I have Saturday school, remember?"  
  
"Oh, yeah..." Sango seemed pensive for a moment. "How did you get that, anyway?"  
  
"My skirt was apparently a little too short, and I argued with the teacher over it." Kagome rolled her eyes and Sango laughed.   
  
"Enjoy your torture." Sango teased lightly as they stepped onto the sidewalk.  
  
"Yeah. Enjoy your sleep." Kagome grumbled in response, and turned and headed home. She couldn't help but feel that a weight had been lifted. So Inuyasha wasn't cheating on her after all...  
  
The next morning Kagome awoke feeling refreshed, if that was possible at six on Saturday. She couldn't help but notice that her alarm had not gone off, and wouldn't do so for another hour.  
  
"Why?" she asked no one in particular as she slipped out of bed and bounded into the bathroom to wash her face. "Hm...so there's that soap I've been looking for..." Kagome studied the bottle before lathering up. She rinsed, then checked her reflection to make sure all was well. Only this time it wasn't her reflection.  
  
"What the--?" The girl in the mirror made no move to mimic Kagome, only smiling slightly. "Uh..."  
  
"Hello, Kagome." The girl waved, and her smile broadened. Kagome blinked a few times before rubbing her eyes so roughly she saw spots. When she looked again, the girl was gone, replaced by her own shell-shocked image.  
  
"Okay..." she cautiously placed one shaky hand on the water-splotched counter. "That was just my imagination..." Hello, Kagome. Yeah...just her imagination. Kagome. Turn around. The fine hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as the soft laughter pierced through her very being. "Imagination, imagination..." she muttered, turning slowly. She had to prove it. She was suddenly nose to nose with the mirror girl, locking gazes. The girl giggled again, placing her hand on Kagome's chest, just above her heart. Then she pushed, and Kagome fell against the counter--or rather through the counter.  
  
"What the hell?!" she screamed in rage at the intruder. Then she realized that she was no longer occupying her body. The girl smiled, waved, and stepped in to fill the void shell. "Wha-wait!" Kagome called desperately as her body walked away nonchalantly, housing that girl. Kagome turned toward the mirror, still trying to regain her composure. She looked to her reflection for reassurance. It offered none, since it no longer existed.  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" Kagome shrieked, and ran from the room, not even bothering to use the door.  
  
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This is my first fic, so no persecution, please. I would appreciate reviews, but they aren't absolutely vital. Oh, and constructive criticism is encouraged. For example, if you say, "I noticed an error in this chapter. You said 'their' instead of 'there,'" I won't go all psycho on you and flame every fic you've ever written or blame you for flaming. (And I know the characters are OOC, so if you absolutely get the urge, go ahead and tell me about it. Otherwise…I know.) 


	2. chapter 2

After a long break I've returned, along with a new chapter. Yay, for those that care…

Soft and Subtle

By Squishy

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Chapter 2  
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"Ohmygod Ohmygod Ohmygod…" Kagome squeaked as she tried holding her hand in front of her. It was little more than a translucent blob connected to a thinner translucent blob that no doubt connected to the translucent blob that was now her…body. She sighed and slumped in her place. "I'll wake up, I know I will." Suddenly, her body barged into the room and gave Kagome a surprised glance.

"I thought you'd be gone by now." The girl stated, using Kagome's own lips.

"What…Who are you? Why…" Kagome floated closer to her body, and the girl took a step back, using Kagome's leg.

"My name is Kikyou. I've been waiting for an opportunity like this." The girl smiled faintly, dreamily. Kagome couldn't help but notice how cold her own face had grown. "Don't worry, your chance will come in a hundred years or so." The girl, Kikyou, changed clothes and left again. Kagome didn't protest. What the hell had she done to deserve this? And while she was at it, she might as well wonder what was going on. Was she now some wandering spirit without a home? Was she invisible to the real world? Was she dead? Kagome paled—if that were possible—at that last thought.

"Yes, yes, and…no." answered a voice that seemed to take up the entire room. Knowing my luck it probably does, and will find a way to make life worse, Kagome thought bitterly. "Well aren't ya even gonna say Hi?" The voice was directly in front of her now, but she couldn't see anything.

"Um…hi?" she offered weakly. As if she were going to be friendly. Her last run-in with a spirit had been disastrous at best.

"Oh that's not very convincing," the voice chided as it moved in a complete circle around her not-quite-solid form.

"What are you, my kindergarten teacher?" Kagome ground out between clenched teeth, and tried to continue with her panicked wondering. What if I were to take my body back? Surprised the thought hadn't occurred to her before, Kagome slapped her hand against her forehead.

"I missed my golden opportunity!" she cried out in frustration. She could just picture the look of surprise on Kikyou's face when Kagome the Triumphant reclaimed what was rightfully hers.

"I must say, your logic is very…fascinating." The voice was now standing before her, a tall, handsome man with arms crossed and tail swishing mischievously. "Would you like your body back?" he asked as if it were the most natural thing in the world to be speaking to a floating blob about re-inhabiting a body.

"Of course not…" Kagome replied dryly.

"Oh. Okay then." The guy dematerialized. "Later." It took Kagome a few seconds to realize that he had gone.

"Wait!" she cried in desperation. "I was kidding for god's sake! Come back!"

"Yes?" He was now standing beneath her, peering up innocently. Kagome tried to kick him in the head, but it merely passed on through.

"You saw up my nightshirt, didn't you?!"

"You're a blob," the man responded flatly. "How the hell could I see up a blob's nightshirt?"

"Hm…You've got a point, there." Kagome floated down to his eye level. "So, when am I expected to wake up?" The guy laughed heartily, then smirked at her.

"You're new at this, aren't ya?" He waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry, in a few hundred years you should have this down."

"WHAT?!" Kagome shrieked. She would've pulled her hair out…if she had any.

"Kidding. Just kidding." The guy laughed as if it really was funny.

"It wasn't funny…Anyway, how am I supposed to get my body back?"

"First, you'll need a temporary form." The man snapped his fingers in an annoyingly exaggerated way, and Kagome tumbled to the ground in an undignified, naked heap.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" she screamed, curling in on herself. "I'm naked! Ohmygod!"

"Oops." The guy snapped his fingers again, hastily this time, and Kagome was fully clad in a strange, flowing, black…thing. She stood slowly, in awe of how the fabric gracefully followed her every movement.

"Feels like heaven…" she commented absently, twisting around to see the back.

"Hell, actually." The guy corrected her offhandedly, as if he got that all the time.

"Huh?" Kagome responded intelligently. She took in his clothing, which included flowing black pants and an armor-like top. "Hm…so you're from…hell?"

"Very good." He smiled, showing off glinting fangs. Kagome gasped.

"You're Satan!" she exclaimed, pointing wildly in his direction. He smirked, his eyes gleaming an unnatural red.

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It feels good to get another chapter out. Believe it or not, I am not the quitting type, and I will not give up until this story is complete. Helpful reviews are…well…helpful, and I do appreciate it, but again, reviews aren't necessary. Just loved. Oh, and I want to announce that this chapter was quickly gone over by my beta-reader/editor narcoleptic shishkabob. She is really a very good editor, and pointed out my misuse of the 'if' form of 'to be'…Yeah, that stuff is confusing, but she seems to get it, so thanks a lot to miss shishkabob.


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